FOREVER CHINATOWN

Directed by James Q. Chan

Plays In:

SHORTS: CHANGING CHINATOWN

Description

FOREVER, CHINATOWN tells the unknown story of Frank Wong, an 81-year-old self-taught artist who has spent forty years attempting to preserve his fading memories of the San Francisco Chinatown of his youth. By building romantic, extraordinarily detailed dioramas, Frank hopes to immortalize the rapidly changing urban neighborhood he grew up in.

Director's Bio

James is a San Francisco-based filmmaker who has collaborated on Emmy- and Grammy-winning projects. His film mentorship/training began alongside two-time Academy-Award winning filmmakers Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman (THE TIMES OF HARVEY MILK, THE CELLULOID CLOSET). Producing credits with Epstein & Friedman include History Channel’s 10 DAYS THAT UNEXPECTEDLY CHANGED AMERICA (Emmy Award; 2006 Outstanding Non-Fiction Series), HOWL (Sundance 2010 Opening Night; National Board of Review Freedom of Expression Award). Recent producing work include films about– a child IT protégé :PUCK AND THE RIDDLE OF CODES (IDFA 2014; Dutch Television VPRO); father & son reconciliation ISTINMA (Best Short, 2014 American Indian Film Festival; Smithsonian Institute Native Showcase); U.S. immigration law impacts on bi-national same-sex couples ENTRY DENIED (Jury Award, Best Short, 2012 Provincetown); love & equality RIGHT DOWN THE LINE music video (Bonnie Raitt, Grammy 2013). Prior to filmmaking, James worked as a SAG/AFTRA Union Talent Agent. His refugee/working class background, love for nature shows, and memories of his mother’s cooking shape his sensibilities in all of his stories. James is the founder of Good Medicine Picture Company.

Plays in

86 mins

Across the United States, Chinatowns are vibrant hubs of culture and community. Unfortunately, they’re usually viewed through the white lens of tourism and foodie culture. This program features three short films that tell honest stories of Chinatown and what it means to the folks who live there.